Tag: Contemporary Christian Romance

First Line Friday

First Line Friday #325 | Over the Rainbow (Trinity Lakes #8) by Meredith Resce

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. Today I’m sharing from the next book in the Trinity Lakes contemporary Christian romance series, Over the Rainbow by Meredith Resce.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

Arianne Rayne inhaled a deep breath of determination. This was going to be hard.

What’s the book nearest you, and what’s the first line?

 

About Over the Rainbow

Cover image - Over the Rainbow by Meredith ResceWhat a difference a year makes.

Last year, Arianne Rayne was playing college basketball and looking forward to a permanent future with her boyfriend.

This year, she is learning to live with disability.

After walking away from an accident he’d caused by reckless driving, her boyfriend walked away from her. The uncertainty of how life would look now that she had lost mobility was enough for him to break the relationship, and her heart.

Coming to Trinity Lakes to live with her stable, unflappable grandparents is hope for a new beginning and a chance to heal her heart. Away from her parents’ cloistered, cotton-wool approach, she hopes to learn how to live independently with the help of physiotherapist and trainers at the local gym.

Until she meets Matthew Kennedy. He might be buff and good looking, but he has no idea about how to relate to someone living with disability. He’s eligible, and he is certainly accessible, given he is one of her personal trainers, but will he ever see beyond her wheelchair? Arianne’s heart tells her it’s unlikely.

Until she is stranded, and Matthew is her only hope of getting home.

Find Over the Rainbow online at:

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Click here to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today.

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Share your first line in the comments, and happy reading!

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First Line Friday

First Line Friday #320 | Muskoka Hearts by Carolyn Miller

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m currently reading Muskoka Hearts, the third book in Carolyn Miller’s Muskoka Shores series. Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

I can’t begin to tell you how much I love you, and hope to share the rest of my life with you. Please, say you’ll marry me.

What’s the book nearest you, and what’s the first line?

 

About Muskoka Hearts

Toni Wakefield may be a talented artist, but past choices means this single mother never feels the equal of those around her—especially her brother’s best friend, investment funds manager Matt.

Matt long ago fell in love with his best friend’s younger sister, and try as he might, he just can’t fall out of it. And between his crazy working hours and the fact she’s now settled two hours away in beautiful Muskoka it seems they never have any time together.

How can he persuade her to consider to give him a chance, when she’s sworn the only man she can care about is her baby boy?

Find Muskoka Hearts online at:

Amazon | BookBub| Goodreads

Click here to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today.

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Share your first line in the comments, and happy reading!

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First Line Friday

First Line Friday #318 | The Road Home by Carol J Post

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m sharing from The Road Home by Carol J Post which releases today. This is the second book in the Song of the Smokies series. I enjoyed the first book (Trust My Heart), so I’m looking forward to reading The Road Home.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

The black Silverado sat nestled amongst a copse of birch trees, easily overlooked.

What’s the book nearest you, and what’s the first line?

 

About The Road Home

She was just one of the guys…everybody’s friend but nobody’s girlfriend.

Cover image - The Road Home by Carol J PostWhen his father has a stroke, bad-boy Kyle Worthington drags himself back to Murphy, North Carolina, where his one-time best friend accused him of starting the fire that left her scarred. Though he sees the accusation in everyone’s eyes, he’ll be there for his mother, but he has no intention of visiting his harsh, demanding father…or renewing the relationship he once had with his former best friend.

In spite of Kyle’s denials, Samantha Atkinson knows what she saw, and nothing will convince her otherwise. As circumstances force them together, they struggle their way back to a tentative friendship. Although Samantha has always been attracted to Kyle, she doesn’t have any delusions. She’s seen the kind of women he dates, and she’s not it.

Soon, Sam finds what she has wholeheartedly believed cast in doubt, and Kyle has to take a hard look at his priorities. Together, they just might learn that home really is where the heart is—a place of healing, forgiveness, reconciliation…and love.

Find The Road Home online at:

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Click here to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today.

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Share your first line in the comments, and happy reading!

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First Line Friday

First Line Friday #315 | Bidding on a Second Chance by Emily Conrad

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m currently reading a review copy of Bidding on a Second Chance by Emily Conrad, which is part of the Christmas in Redemption Ridge series.

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

What’s the book nearest you, and what’s the first line?

 

About Bidding on a Second Chance

His bid for a second chance this Christmas might lead to her most disastrous fall yet.

Police officer Graham Lockhart’s life is dangerous enough without accident-prone Piper Wells tripping around in it—at least that’s what she claimed when she declined his marriage proposal two years ago. But he can’t help but wonder if there is more to her refusal.

Piper always cared for Graham, but she is incapable of giving him the one thing he wants more than anything—family. All her orphaned self knows about that is how much it hurts to lose. She’s better off focusing on caring for her nephew and running her business. Secondhand furniture doesn’t break hearts.

When an injury sidelines Piper leading into the holidays, Graham steps up to help her keep her commitment to a Christmastime auction benefiting a local family. Can they overcome the hurdles between them, or will the past and their warring hopes and fears trip them up for good?

Visit Redemption Ridge, Colorado and enjoy the faith, friendships, and forever-afters of the Christmas in Redemption Ridge series of Christian romance.

Find Bidding on a Second Chance online at:

Amazon | Goodreads

Click here to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today.

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Share your first line in the comments, and happy reading!

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I keep wondering if Samuel 2.0 is going to reboot to his original factory settings.

Book Review | Julia Monroe Begins Again by Rebekah Millet

Julia Monroe is the widowed mother of two college-aged sons. She supports herself as a self-employed cleaner, and volunteers for the church cleaning ministry she established before her husband dies.

Ex-Green Beret Samuel Reed was Julia’s first love and first heartbreak. He’s back in town after an injury forces him out of the army. They meet at church, and it immediately obvious that Samuel wants to reconnect romantically with Julia. It’s equally obvious she has no interest in reestablishing any kind of relationship, even though it’s more than ten years since her husband died.

I could well understand Julia’s reluctance.

Having said that, I thought her big excuse (that her children were upset the last time someone asked her out) was a little weak given how much time had passed. I could also understand her reaction to Samuel’s over-confidence (which came across as almost arrogant). I get that he’s a Green Beret so his career has taught and required competence and confidence. But I did think a dose of humility might have helped his cause.

I’m amazed and impressed that Julia could support herself and two sons while working as a self-employed house cleaner. I’m also impressed that Samuel could go so long without a job. That speaks well to his financial sense – he’s a saver, not a spender.

The story is written in first person, and entirely from Julia’s point of view. While it might have been nice to get into Samuel’s head sometimes, we didn’t need to as there was no doubt about Samuel’s feelings or what he wanted from Julia. Being in Julia’s perspective meant we could journey with her on her journey from aversion and suspicion to friendship to more.

Yes, this is a romance.

There is definitely a “more” although it’s definitely on the slow-burn low-angst end of the scale. I liked that, because anything else wouldn’t have felt true to her character (and because there is enough angst in real life. I read to escape real life). I especially liked the Christian aspects of the story – the way Julia does (and doesn’t) pray about her problems (which felt realistic and believable), and the way she sees Samuel has changed since he became a Christian.

Julia Monroe Begins Again is an excellent second-chance #ChristianRomance from Rebekah Millet, and features an older couple. Recommended. #BookReview Share on X

Julia Monroe Begins Again is an excellent second-chance romance featuring an older couple. The cover gives off a bit of a rom-com feel, but it’s more romance than rom-com (apart from regular appearances from Chewy, Julia’s dog. He’s named for Chewbacca, but the other meaning also holds true). This is Rebecca Millet’s debut novel, and I look forward to reading more from her.

Recommended for fans of first-person contemporary romance and authors such as Jan Thompson, Liwen Ho, and Courtney Walsh.

Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Rebekah Millet

Rebekah MilletRebekah Millet is a Cascade Award and ACFW First Impressions Award-winning author of contemporary Christian romance novels. A New Orleans native, she grew up on beignets and café au lait, and she loves infusing her colorful culture into her stories. She exasperates her husband by rearranging their furniture and being a serial plant killer, while her two sons keep her laughing and share her love of strawberry Pop-Tarts.

Find Rebekah Millet online at:

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About Julia Monroe Begins Again

Samuel was back. It seemed unfair to be blindsided. And in church no less. Shouldn’t there be a commandment about that? Thou shalt not step foot inside thy ex’s place of worship.

Julia Monroe has just turned forty and has high hopes for a fresh start after the last decade of her life abruptly left her a young widow and a single mom. With both her boys off to college, she can finally focus on expanding her New Orleans-based cleaning business. Julia is ready for new beginnings–but God has other plans. Samuel Reed, the ruggedly handsome Green Beret who shattered her heart over twenty years ago, has returned to town and is the kind of distraction she never saw coming.

After their first interaction in years leaves her mind spinning and her emotions out of control, Julia knows she needs to avoid him if she wants any chance of preventing history from repeating itself, but her meddling best friend keeps throwing them together. And now it seems inevitable that the man who was hard to forget might just be impossible to resist.

Find Julia Monroe Begins Again online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

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First Line Friday

First Line Friday #313 | Whole Latte Love by Kari Trumbo

It’s First Line Friday! That means it’s time to pick up the nearest book and quote the first line. I’m currently reading the Small Town Love Story collection which released a while back, and I’m up to Whole Latte Love by Kari Trumbo. Isn’t that a great title?

Here’s the first line from the Chapter One:

Addi Merrick had spent her life waiting for him to show up, or so it seemed.

What’s the book nearest you, and what’s the first line?

 

About Whole Latte Love

Addi Merrick is a matchmaker with no match.

Her past is riddled with friends who married and left her behind.

She’s stuck at a job she doesn’t love with a boss who can’t stand her to put herself through college, but there’s a reason God wants her at the right place, at the right time.

Drew Tanner was left at the altar and doesn’t believe in love.

It’s been a year since the woman of his dreams vanished into thin air on his wedding day. Since then, he’s avoided women like her, certain all quiet women were hiding something. Seeing Addi is like watching his past, and he wants no part of it.

When a dating site matches them, not only as a possible match but a perfect match, they must choose to either risk the pain of rejection or the beauty of a love match.

Find Whole Latte Love online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

Click here to check out what my fabulous fellow FirstLineFriday bloggers are sharing today.

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Share your first line in the comments, and happy reading!

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Her name is Beth, but she’s engaged. She’s part of a weathly family who would disown her if she were with me, and I’m not sure if she's a Christian.

Book Review | Moonlight and Mystery by Karen Malley

Beth Torrington is the pampered daughter of a prominent lawyer with the almost-perfect life. She has a great marketing job, a handsome fiancé, drives a late-model luxury car, and lives in a high-end condo. But when she meets Jason, at a schoolteacher who moonlights as a magician, at a children’s birthday party, she wonders if her life might be missing something important.

Beth signs up to act in a local community theatre production, to the dismay of her fiancé, only to find the lead actor is Jason, the handsome magician who also happens to be good friends with her older brother. She’s attracted to Jason … yet she’s engaged to Blaine.

It’s obvious from the get-go that Jason is the hero, which means Beth and Blaine are going to have to break up.

This is good news.

There are red flags around Blaine from his very first line, and they add up until the man is flying more red flags than a circus. Blaine doesn’t respect Beth or her opinions, and it’s obvious he will be a controlling and possibly abusive husband. The only question is when Beth will realise Blaine’s true nature and stand up for herself. (And we know she will, because this is contemporary Christian romance, not a historical novel where the woman is married off to her father’s choice, regardless of her own feelings).

I loved the way Beth developed some sass and personality as the story progressed. I especially liked her openness to feedback and her realisation that her life—and faith—might not be as perfect as she assumed.

Jason was a perfect Christian hero.

In fact, that’s my main criticism with Moonlight and Mystery—Jason is possibly too perfect. He realises Beth isn’t a Christian, so focusses on developing a friendship with her that shows Jesus. He honours Beth and respects her relationship with Blaine, even though he is attracted to her. In that, Jason highlights Blaine’s disrespect towards Beth.

The addition of the play is brilliant.

I’ve read several novels where the hero or heroine is an author and where there are clear parallels between the main plot and the plot of the fictional writer’s story. But this is the first novel I’ve read where the plot followed a fictional play. The playwright is still writing (probably not aged way to stage a production), so we see the characters rehearsing the play as part of the story, and the story and the play track in a pleasing parallel.

There were a lot of things to like about Moonlight and Mystery as a contemporary Christian romance—Jason, the play, Beth’s faith journey, Beth’s brother and family, Jason (yes, the repetition is deliberate).

Yet, in some respects, Blaine offers the greater lesson.

Blaine says and does all the right things, and Beth is initially fooled. Moonlight and Mystery would make a good read for a young adults group so young women can see Blaine’s controlling and manipulative behaviours, and learn to avoid those men in their own lives. Instead, seek the Jasons of this world, the men who perhaps don’t look as polished, but who put God first.

Thanks to Pelican Book Group for providing a free ebook for review.

About Moonlight and Mystery

Beth Tarrington has it all: a gorgeous fiancé , a lucrative career, the latest model car, and a high-priced condo. On top of that, the Tarrington name opens every door in town. So why is she so discontent? When everything falls apart in Beth’ s life, will she finally find the strength to stand on her own two feet?

Is God really willing to stand by her side, even after she’s ignored Him for so long?

When Jason Brooks meets Beth, his head tells him to run in the opposite direction. Beth is a high-society snob engaged to another man, and he’ s not sure where she stands with God.

So why does God keep bringing the two of them together?

Can these two find love, in spite of everything that stands in their way?

Find Moonlight and Mystery online at:

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About Karen Malley

Karen MalleyFaith, Encouragement, and Happily-Ever-Afters.

Karen is an author of Christian fiction. She lives in Southeastern Pennsylvania with her husband and two sons. She works full time as a scientist, but enjoys writing in her spare time. When not writing (with her left hand), she enjoys camping, hiking, playing board games, and especially reading! She loves reading faith-based stories, because we can all use a happy ending.

Karen loves to hear from her readers.

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Charlotte Simpson had never stalked a man before.

Book Review | Wildflower Falls (Riverbend Romance #4) by Denise Hunter

Charlotte Simpson has never known the identity of her biological father.

After her mother died, she discovered newspaper clippings that gave her a clue: she’s related to the Robinson family. She hires Gavin Dawson to build her a new barn, both because she wants to turn the family ranch back into a profitable business, and so she can get to know her half-brother. She’s torn between wanting to connect with her newfound family, and worrying about their reaction to a half-sibling who is obviously the result of an extra-marital affair.

Gunner Dawson takes a six-month job as a horse trainer at the Simpson ranch but has no plans to stay.

Charlotte tells him the truth about her relationship with the Robinsons after he catches her spying on Gavin then Cooper Robinson. He’s relieved, because he’s attracted to Charlotte … which is awkward, because she’s his boss. And (predictably) he’s hiding his own insecurities and secrets.

I enjoyed watching the relationship between Charlotte and Gunner unfold against the backdrop of Charlotte’s desire to rebuild the ranch, her relationship with her stepsister, and her growing friendship with the Robinson family. As such, I think it’s one of Denise Hunter’s better stories. However, I would have liked to see more of a Christian thread in the story.

Wildflower Falls is the fourth book in the Riverbend Romance series but is a standalone romance.

I read the first in the series (Riverbend Gap) and didn’t much like the underlying premise, so didn’t read the next two. While Riverbend Gap and Wildflower Falls both centre around lies (or withholding the full truth), the difference was the source of the lies. In Riverbend Gap, the characters caused their own problems (which annoyed me and other reviewers).

In Wildflower Falls, Charlotte’s parents caused the problem, leaving Charlotte the unenviable task of determining the right time to reveal the secret. There’s never a right time to spill the beans a father’s infidelity, so there was always going to be a degree of tension and uncertainty about that.

Overall, I enjoyed Wildflower Falls.

Charlotte and her predicament engaged me from the beginning and I read it in almost one sitting. I loved Gunner. After all, what’s not to love about a wounded hero who’s great with children and animals, especially emotionally wounded animals?

Wildflower Falls by Denise Hunter is a strong contemporary romance, recommended for fans of authors such as Carla Laureano and Becky Wade. #ChristianRomance #BookReview Share on X

Recommended for fans of clean contemporary romance from authors such as Carla Laureano, Becky Wade, and Courtney Walsh.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Denise Hunter

Denise HunterDenise Hunter is the internationally published bestselling author of more than 30 books, including “The Convenient Groom” and “A December Bride” which have been made into Hallmark movies. She has appeared on the The 700 club and won awards such as The Holt Medallion Award, The Carol Award, The Reader’s Choice Award, The Foreword Book of the Year Award, and is a RITA finalist.

Denise writes heartwarming, small-town love stories. Her readers enjoy the vicarious thrill of falling in love and the promise of a happily-ever-after sigh as they savor the final pages of her books.

In 1996, inspired by the death of her grandfather, Denise began her first book, writing while her children napped. Two years later it was published, and she’s been writing ever since. Her husband says he inspires all her romantic stories, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too!

When Denise isn’t orchestrating love lives on the written page, she enjoys traveling with her family, drinking good coffee, and playing drums. Denise makes her home in Indiana where she and her husband raised three boys and are currently enjoying an empty nest.

Find Denise Hunter online at:

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About Wildflower Falls

He’s here to train her horses, and then he’s moving on. She’s keeping her true identity a secret. But their spark complicates both of their plans.

When her mother’s death leaves Charlotte Simpson bereft, she hopes the Robinson clan will accept her as one of their own and help fill the void. But a startling discovery dashes her hopes and leaves her wondering if she will ever know the father she’s always longed for.

Horse trainer Gunner Dawson has experienced profound loss and intends to avoid it. So he lives on the move without forming close bonds or putting down roots. When Charlotte hires him to work with her horses and help expand her ranch, he commits to staying for a few months. But he doesn’t count on getting caught up in Charlotte’s search for her biological father. Or on falling in love—with Riverbend Gap or with Charlotte. This time, he’s not sure if he’ll be able to move on—or if he even wants to.

The queen of heartwarming, small-town love stories returns to Riverbend Gap with a deeply satisfying tale of love’s healing power.

Find Wildflower Falls online at:

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Shame. Like cancer, unseen from the world, it can eat away at the good. It spreads and ruins everything in its path.

Book Review | Not Quite Mr Darcy by Kim Griffin

Grieving widow Kate Thomas has moved from her US home to Kent, England, to take a role as an in-home nurse for a lady with Alzheimer’s. Kate thinks she’s a Christian when she arrives in England, but soon realises there’s a difference between the faith she’s grown up with and Margaret’s faith.

I enjoyed seeing Kate’s journey to Christian faith, as that’s something I don’t think we see enough of in Christian fiction.

I also enjoyed seeing Kate’s faith develop as she was faced with some difficult situations and calls to forgiveness. This spiritual depth was one of the strengths of the novel. Kate is put in some difficult situations and has to call on her newfound faith to guide her.

There are shades of The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs Kip in Not Quite Mr Darcy, although Mr Darcy doesn’t have the same level of polish. In particular, I found some of the dialogue overly formal to the point of being awkward, and not at all how people from London or Kent speak. I did enjoy reading about the location, as my grandmother was born only a few miles up the road.

Not Quite Mr Darcy is Kim Griffin’s first published novel, which she describes as women’s fiction with romance.

That fits the story well. It certainly starts as women’s fiction, as Kate arrives in England and settles into her new role. The romance was also present from early on, but I was less impressed with the romantic aspects. I am not a fan of the “other woman” plotline, particularly as it seemed like it was an issue that could have been solved with a simple conversation. (It was, but far too late in the plot for my taste.) I had the same misunderstanding as Kate (not surprising, as the whole story was told from her point of view). That meant I misjudged one of the characters, to the detriment of my enjoyment of the story.

Overall, Not Quite Mr Darcy was a solid first novel, recommended for readers looking for Christian women’s fiction which considers tough issues like infidelity and Alzheimer’s.

Thanks to the author for providing a free ebook for review.

About Kim Griffin

Kim GriffinKim Griffin is a former interior designer and homeschool mom who has been leading Bible studies for over 35 years and working in Women’s Ministry for over 25.  Several years ago, God led her to begin writing words of hope.  She writes Christian women’s fiction with clean romance. Her desire is that her books will draw readers closer to the God who sees all of their imperfections and loves them still.

Find Kim Griffin online at:

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About Not Quite Mr Darcy

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that Mr. Darcy does not exist.”

Many a young woman has spent years looking for her perfect Mr. Darcy, but Kate Thomas knows better. A 29-year-old recently widowed southerner, Kate sets off to find herself on the other side of the ocean in the very country where Mr. Darcy’s life was penned. Looking only to escape reminders of her heartache, Kate journeys to places she never thought she’d go—finding faith, love, and family along the way.

Not Quite Mr. Darcy is not a P&P retelling but the story of a woman’s journey to discover what real love is.

An ocean … it’s vast and powerful. The water that fills it can bring death, or offer life. Kate Thomas moves her life across an ocean to conquer the hold of her past and find new life for her future.

Not Quite Mr. Darcy is women’s fiction with clean romance (kisses only). It tackles forgiving the seemingly unforgivable and the disillusionment many a woman has faced upon realizing that the perfect husband they’ve been raised to look for doesn’t exist. Kate, a recent widow, leaves her hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. Seeking distance from her past she takes a job in Kingsdown, England, working with a dementia patient in a cottage overlooking the English Channel. What she finds there is much more than she anticipated. Kate learns to find joy even in the hardest circumstances.

Find Not Quite Mr Darcy online at:

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